8 Presentation Industry Trends To Watch In 2018

By Alexa Harrison |
3 min read

Confucius once said: study the past if you would define the future.

So, before everyone headed out on holiday vacations, we asked a few Duartians to tell us what they saw in the presentation industry during 2017, so that we all could better understand what 2018 holds. From an inclusion of more personal stories, to leveraging art installations, to utilizing VR and AR to create more immersive experiences, 2018 is sure to be a year filled with compelling and persuasive presentations…

Data alone will not be enough. All roles will require understanding data and how to communicate the data in a way people will act on the findings. In 2018 people will realize the necessity of communicating data clearly and effectively through a combination of data and story. – Nancy Duarte, Chief Executive Officer

One of the emerging trends we’re seeing in presentations has to do with using VR and AR to create immersive experiences for the audience. Beyond some of the amazing projection-mapping and room-scale projection that we’re seeing on-stage, some companies are starting to explore creating apps that are built around the event theme or the main stage presentations. –Steve Wishman, Art Director

We’re seeing more high-profile leaders use stories as a framing device to explain their strategies and win support for big initiatives. Whether your audience consists of your customers, readers, team members, or a group of strangers, leaders will learn they must narrate the audience journey with clarity, conviction, and most of all empathy in order to create reliable and profound connections and ignite a desired action. – Patti Sanchez, Chief Strategy Officer

As the workforce becomes more distributed, and time is more scarce, communication is critical at every level – intern to manager to executive. Arming every team member with the skills necessary to communicate your message is no longer a choice, but a necessity. Those that master effective communications, both internally and externally, will outperform competition. – Deborah Eastman, Chief Client Officer

When we do our workshops, one of the biggest things we see is people realizing what they call presentations shouldn’t really be presentations at all; they’re more like discussions using a Slidedoc. So, no more standing in front of the room with a clicker. Instead they should just prepare a movie trailer-length content summary, followed by discussing a printed version of the slides. – Mike Pacchione, Senior Corporate Trainer

The bar is getting higher for presentations across the board. On the higher-end, events are becoming more interactive and awe-inspiring and are thus more likely to be given a larger budget. At the same time, the average professional is giving more visual and story-driven presentations to their own peers. We have so many inconsequential digital interactions that people and brands are really taking advantage of in-person interactions to connect viscerally and create memories. – Catrinel Bartolomeu, Head of Editorial

There’s now a greater tendency for speakers to challenge themselves by incorporating personal stories—not just a stronger narrative flow, but actual stories—into their speeches and presentations. These stories are used to build the speaker’s case, communicate product users’ journeys, and help build empathy in audiences. It’s not easy to tell a story—and deliver it well—but the speakers who step out and challenge themselves to bring emotion into otherwise logic-filled talks will be rewarded with audience appreciation and buy-in. – Jeff Davenport, Speaker Coach and Content Developer

Great presentations stand firmly at the intersection of data and cinema. One without the other will either be dull or feel hollow. In 2018, the speakers that not only embrace that space but innovate on the way the two elements interplay, will be our next great persuaders. – Ryan Orcutt, Associate Creative Director